Case Number 05454

THE BOSTON STRANGLER

The Charge

Why did 13 women willingly open their doors to the Boston Strangler?

Opening Statement

The Boston Strangler is based on the true story of Albert DeSalvo, who
allegedly terrorized the Boston area from 1962 until 1964, raping and killing
more than a dozen women. In each case, he strangled his victims with a piece of
clothing, afterwards tying it into a decorative bow around their necks -- a
unique M.O. that branded him as "The Boston Strangler" by the police
detectives who relentlessly attempted to track him down. Coming just four years
after the horrific serial murders took place, Richard Fleischer's
artistically-shot interpretation of the events is an overlooked slice of late
'60s American cinema that will hopefully win new fans now that it has finally
made its way to DVD.

Facts of the Case

When Detective Phil DiNatale (George Kennedy, Cool Hand Luke) and the
Boston police force come up empty-handed after a series of older women are found
strangled to death, special investigator John Bottomly (Henry Fonda, Once
Upon a Time in the West) is assigned to the case. Bottomly refocuses the
investigation and every known sex offender is brought in, but still nothing
seems to add up. Desperate and short on clues, the police get a big break when
one victim (Sally Kellerman, M*A*S*H) manages to escape alive and give
the police enough information to pick up a furnace repairman named Albert
DeSalvo (Tony Curtis, Spartacus). Even though they think they have their
man, the film is far from over as Bottomly faces his biggest challenge yet -- to
find out why DeSalvo might have done it.

The Evidence

More of a police procedural than a crime thriller in the strictest sense of
the term, The Boston Strangler is a slickly-made little serial killer
drama that takes us from the investigation to interrogation in the pursuit of
the elusive strangler. The film weaves a web of paranoia over the viewer in the
first half, before director Richard Fleischer (20,000 Leagues Under the
Sea) shifts gears significantly for the lengthy conclusion, which has
Bottomly and DeSalvo squaring off in an attempt to understand each other. Rather
than the harsh indictment of crime the graphic story seems to be setting up, the
end is a surprisingly open-minded look at the psychology of murder.

It's difficult to appreciate the way The Boston Strangler pushed
boundaries in 1968, as the violence and sexual content could probably pass on an
episode of Law and Order today, but at a time when the MPAA had just been
formed, this certainly would have raised a few eyebrows. Despite some stylized
visuals, the disconcerting subject of The Boston Strangler, often frankly
discussed by the police during their investigation, is a distinct move toward
the disturbing realism made common by the stark police thrillers in the 1970s.
This film was highly influential on superior cop films like The French
Connection, not to mention future serial killer films like Manhunter
and Silence of the Lambs, and they couldn't ask for a more distinguished
pedigree.

Although he doesn't actually show up in the film until the second act, Tony
Curtis is simply unbelievable as Albert DeSalvo. This is easily Curtis's most
enthralling acting performance, and he switches from cold and calculating to
confused and disoriented with amazing deftness and skill. Made up with a
prosthetic nose and weighted clothes to approximate DeSalvo's blue-collar lurch,
Curtis plays completely against type and comes across virtually unrecognizable
from his lighter, fluffier roles. Again anticipating the 1970s crime thrillers,
the film's Boston precinct is also stocked with craggy-faced character actors
doing their best to replicate "real" police detectives,
far-from-perfect cops whose prejudices and bullying tactics often come into play
during the course of the film. George Kennedy is typically excellent, although
Henry Fonda's relatively gentle law school professor John Bottomly seems a
little out of place in his brash environment -- even though he is the first cop
to punch out a suspect! The always enjoyable William Hickey (Prizzi's
Honor) also deserves mention as a self-loathing ladies' purse fetishist who
comes under suspicion when the police get desperate enough to consult a
psychic.

There are several instances in the film during which Fleischer employs a
split screen, multi-panel approach to tell the story, a controversial technique
influenced by the multimedia displays that the director witnessed at Expo '67 in
Montreal. The directional effects are really designed for the big screen, and on
DVD, the results are mixed depending on the subject. They work best when used to
achieve a montage effect, as when about ten panels are simultaneously used to
show the police arresting and questioning the known sex offenders. When
Fleischer simplifies to two or three screens to show DeSalvo advancing on his
prey, it tends to work against the natural tension by giving the viewer too many
things to look at. Fleischer does keep his use of the technique to a minimum,
though, and it never becomes too wearisome.

Generally, The Boston Strangler looks pretty good on Fox's new DVD
release. Free of any dust dirt or scratches, it's obvious that some restoration
work went into the film, and the transfer looks all the better for it. Color is
nicely and realistically rendered, with good shadow detail. The film has also
finally been presented in its full 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen glory,
superceding earlier home video releases that made nonsense out of Fleischer's
split screens. With only a few directional effects, the Dolby Stereo soundtrack
doesn't offer a big advantage over the included Mono version; however, both
versions have clear dialogue, and are not subject to any annoying audio
artifacts.

There are only a few extras here, but they're quite good. After watching the
original theatrical trailer, you can catch a short, almost soundless, Fox
Movietone Newsreel, parts of which are recreated in the film. An included
episode of AMC's Backstory fills in the production details, and features
interviews with all the important players, including Curtis. It's a great
addition, and I'd like to see more episodes of this well-made show presented as
DVD extras. The only thing conceivably missing from the special features is a
little more discussion of the DeSalvo case, but since the film does take a few
liberties with the story, and it has never been conclusively proven that DeSalvo
was in fact the Strangler, perhaps this isn't such a bad thing after all.

Closing Statement

If you can get past the gimmicky split screen effects and accept them as
"of their time," you'll be surprised to find that The Boston
Strangler is an overlooked treat worth investigating, if only for Curtis'
masterful performance as Albert DeSalvo. The Verdict

Just as DeSalvo himself was never charged with the murders, The Boston
Strangler slips through the fingers of justice and is once again loose on
the streets. Look out!